Method of producing a soft package for cigarettes



K. KbRBER Dec. 30, 1958 METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOFT PACKAGE FORCIGARETTES Filed Sept. 26, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jfzzrl.7f07fi0r N I w m illlllllillllllllilll K. KQRBER Dec. 30, 1958 METHODOF PRODUCING A SOFT PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES Filed Sept. 26, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Kari Jf r597 Jiiorn eys Dec. 30, 1958 52,866,304

METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOFT PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES Filed Sept. 26, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 3 I (5 F y: .9

I I 2 I 2 I, INVENTOR.

Dec. 30, 1958 K. KORBER 2,866,304

METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOFT PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES Filed Sept. 26, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 4 2 Fzlyr14 INVEN TOR.

flffori? Q96 19 Q Z I i METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOFT PACKAGE FOR'CIGARETTES Kurt Kiirber, Hambnrg-Bergedorf, Germany, assignor to KurtKorber & Co. K. G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Application September 26,1955, Serial No. 536,361

Claims priority, application Germany October 2, 1954 5 Claims. (Cl.53--14) The invention relates to a method of producing a soft packagefor cigarettes, miniature cigars and the like. In particular, theinvention relates to a method of producing a soft package in which aportion of the head closure may be separated from the remaining headclosure by means of a manually actuated operating strip which, whenpulled, opens a portion of the head closure so that a small opening inthe corner of the package is formed through which individual cigarettesmay be discharged from the package.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method of producing anovel soft package for cigarettes and the like, which package has such aconstruction that during the pulling of the operating strip, the latternot only opens a portion of the head closure of the package but at thesame time tears and destroys the tax stamp which may be attached to thehead closure of the package.

The method of the present invention may be practiced by employing aspecially designed cigarette packing machine or also a conventionalcigarette packing machine may be employed, in which latter case,however, suitable auxiliary devices will have to be provided. Theoperating strip to be combined or to be incorporated in the softcigarette package is taken from a supply device, for instance, from amagazine or from a supply spool 2 by means of a gripper-for instance, apivotally mounted suction gripper, and in case of a supply spool isseparated from the latter by means of a suitable cutting device. Thementioned gripper transfers the operating strip to the front face of acigarette assembly block which is supplied with a number of cigarettesor a cigarette assembly by a cigarette magazine. At this cigaretteassembly block the operating strip is folded U-shaped about thecigarette assembly. Suitable tools, for instance, knives, provide asheet of tinfoil in which the cigarette assembly is to be wrapped withsmall cuts or perforations limiting the size of the opening in the headclosure when the package is ripped open. After these cuts orperforations have been made, the cigarette assembly is folded into thementioned tinfoil without folding the head closure. After this, theouter wrapping is applied, and the operating strip With a folded portionis placed against the end wall of the package. Thereupon, one end of aclosure stamp is attached to one of the wide sidewalls and then the headend of the package is folded over the narrow end wall, whereby at thesame time the folded portion in the operating strip is covered by theadjacent end flaps. Then the end or head closure is completed by foldingthe closure stamp over the end wall. The outer end portion of theoperating strip is then folded against the end face of the package.Finally, the package is provided with a tax stamp which covers a portionof the operating strip and the closure stamp.

According to another object of the invention, the above described methodmay be somewhat modified in that the operating strip is secured to theinner wrapping, or

when the latter is omitted, is directly secured to the if nite tatesPatent C) head closure portion of the inner wrapping sheet is providedwith an adhesive area at its upper edge, or is closed by other suitableclosure arrangements.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will now bedescribed by way of example in connection with two wrapping machineswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a cigarette packing machine in whichthe individual method steps are performed at the positions A, B, C, D,E, F, G and H.

Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically in side view a detail of the machineat the positions E, F and G.

Fig. 3 shows in top plan view a detail of the packing machine at theposition G.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show a cigarette package in its successivestages of formation in which the head closure is provided with a taxstamp; and the Figs. 11, l2, 13, 14, 15 and 16 show each a cigarettepackage in different stages of production in which the head closure isprovided with an adhesive area.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, there is indicated at A a cigarettemagazine 1, from which a plurality of cigarettes is discharged and'heldtogether to form an as sembly 18, as shown in Fig. 4. This group orassembly of cigarettes is conveyed to the position B, at which islocated a magazine containing operating strips 2. This magazine 2 ispivotally mounted about a bearing 3. A turnstile 4 takes one operatingstrip at a time from the lower end of the magazine 2 by means of suctionand after the turnstile has rotated it has placed the op erating strip 2transversely in front of the end face of the cigarette assembly 18. Atinfoil wrapping device 5 of known construction is provided with specialknives 6 which, according to Fig. 4, provide opposite edges of the sheetor strip of tinfoil 20 with marginal cuts 19, or with perforations.

Fig. 4 illustrates the position in which the cigarette assembly 18,together with the U-shaped folded operating strip 2 is in abutment withthe tinfoil wrapper 20.

At the position C, the wrapping of the cigarette assembly 18 in thetinfoil sheet takes place without, however, closing the head end. Atthis point takes place also in customary manner the insertion of thewrapped cigarette assembly into the outer wrapper 21, by means of theouter wrapping device 7.

Fig. 5 illustrates the cigarette package 21 when it leaves the positionC. At the position D there is arranged a conventional stamp applyingdevice 3 which attaches one end of a closure stamp to the wide side-wallof the package, which, thereupon by means of an endless chain 17, asshown in Fig. 2, is conveyed between guides toward the left. Theattachment of the closure stamp has to take place as shown in Fig. 6 insuch a manner that the closure stamp 12'will be positioned laterally onthe right-hand side of the cuts 19 and, furthermore, in such a mannerthat these cuts are not covered by the closure stamp 12. In the positionE, the package is transferred to a carriage 9 and upon the latter, thereis folded by means of two folding elements of different length the headclosure on the narrow sides and at the same time a fold 2a is formed inthe operating strip 2 where it projects outwardly from the package sothat the package will have the appearance as shown in Fig, 6.Thereafter, the closure of the head is completed by means of a foldingelement 10, while in the position F a folding element ll is operatedwhich at the same time with the upper wide closure flap folds theclosure stamp 12 over the end face of the package, as shown in Fig. 7.Also at the position F, there is provided a rotatable brush segment 13which folds the lower free end of the closure stamp 12' completelyagainst the under face of the package, as shown in Fig. 8. Now, theoperation of a plunger 22 takes place which folds the free end of theoperating strip 2, which heretofore was projecting straight outwardlyfrom the fold 2 against the end face of the package, as shown in Fig. 9.Now the conveyor chain 14 moves the package to the position G where atax stamp attachment device 15 is arranged so that the latter appliesand folds the tax stamp 23 transversely over the operating strip 2. Atthe same time the. tax stamp 23 covers the entire closure stamp 12 andalso the cuts 19 in the tinfoil wrapper. The completely closed packagehas the appearance as shown in Fig. 10. and is transported in theposition H to a discharging device of known construction.

As shown in Fig. 10, the operating strip 2 with its free handle portion2 projects from a position beneath the tax stamp 23 so that when thehandle portion 2' is lifted, the tax stamp 23 will be torn open, andthereupon the corner of the package, where the cuts 19 are provided, isopened, and it is now possibleto slide the cigarettes outwardly whichare positioned in this corner of the package.

A modification of this method of forming a soft cigarette package isillustrated in connection with the Figs. 1 and 11 to 16. According tothis revised method, the tinfoil Wrapper 'Zfi'is provided in theposition B with an adhesive area 24, as shown in Fig. 11. The packagethen moves to the position C, where it has the appearance as shown inFig. 12, while the package has the appearance as shown in Fig. 13 afterit has passed the position E. in Fig. 14, the head closure has beenclosed by the adhesive action of the area 24. Fig. 15 shows the packagein the position F with the operating strip folded against the end faceof the package, while Fig. 16 shows the tax stamp attached to thepackage in a similar manner, as shown in Fig. 10.

Instead of employing the adhesive area 24 for the purpose of closing thehead end of the package, the folds forming the head closure may also beheld in position by means of a staple, or similar fastening means.

It is believed to be obvious that the production of the describedcigarette package may take place in conventional packing machineequipped with the necessary auxiliary instrumentalities. In particular,it is advisable to employ for the application and folding of theoperating strip an auxiliary operating unit and to attach this to theconventional cigarette packing machine.

What I claim is:

l. A method of producing a soft package filled with cigarettes andhaving at one end a head closure, a portion of which is adapted to beseparated from the remainder I of the head closure by a manuallyactuatable operating strip which is normally held in engagement with theend face of the head closure by a tax stamp or the like and destroys thelatter when the operating strip is lifted, including the steps ofplacing a cigarette assembly, consisting of a plurality of cigarettes tobe packed, with one of its cigarette ends against an inner wrappingsheet, providing the opposite margins of the sheet which later formclosure flaps of the head closure with cuts, applying a longitudinaloperating strip to one narrow side of the cigarette assembly in such amanner that one end of said'strip projects beyond the other end of saidcigarette assembly, folding the inner wrapping sheet around saidcigarette assembly, forming a fold in said operating strip at the placewhere it projects from the cigarette assembly and placing said foldunder the flap portions of the closure head formed by said cuts,securing said flap portions together to prevent their separation,folding the remaining portion of said operating strip lengthwise againstthe outer end face of the closure'head and then securing a tax stamptransversely across the closure head a and over said operating strip insuch a manner as to leave the free end of the operating strip readilyaccessible.

2. A method of producing a soft package filled with cigarettes andhaving at one end a head closure, a portion of which is adapted to beseparated from the remainder of the head closure by a manuallyactuatable operating strip which is normally held in engagement with theend face of the head closure by a tax stamp or the like and destroys thelatter when the operating strip is lifted, including the steps ofplacing a cigarette assembly, consisting of a plurality of cigarettes tobe packed, with one of its cigarette ends against an inner wrappingsheet, providing the opposite margins of the sheet which later formclosure flaps of the head closure with cuts, applying a longitudinaloperating strip to one narrow side of the cigarette assembly in such amanner that one end of said strip projects beyond the other end of saidcigarette assembly, folding the inner wrapping sheet around saidcigarette assembly, forming a fold in said operating strip at the placewhere it projects from the cigarette assembly and placing said foldunder the flap portions of the closure head formed by said cuts,securing a closure stamp to the folded flap portions of said closure endso that the end portions of said closure stamp are attached to the widewall faces of said package, folding the remaining portion of saidoperating strip lengthwise against the outer end face of the closurehead and over the closure stamp, and then securing a tax stamptransversely across the closure head and over said operating strip insuch a manner as to leave the free end of the operating strip readilyaccessible.

3. A method of producing a soft package filled with cigarettes andhaving at one end a head closure, a portion of which is adapted to beseparated from the remainder of the head closure by a manuallyactuatable operating strip which is normally held in engagement with theend face of the head closure by a tax stamp or the like and destroys thelatter when the operating strip is lifted, including the steps ofplacing a cigarette assembly, consisting of a plurality of cigarettes tobe packed, with one of its cigarette ends against an inner wrappingsheet, providing the opposite margins of the sheet which later formclosure flaps of the head closure with cuts, providing at one of saidmargins an adhesive area to one side of the cut in said margin, applyinga longitudinal operating strip to one narrow side of the cigaretteassembly in such a manner that one end of said strip projects beyond theother end of said cigarette assembly, folding the inner wrapping sheetaround said cigarette assembly, forming a fold in said operating stripat the place where it projects from the cigarette assembly and placingsaid fold under the flap portions of the closure head formed by saidcuts, said adhesive area forming the means for holding'the overlappingflaps together, folding the remaining portion of said operating striplengthwise against the folded and adhesively secured flap portions onthe outer end face of the closure head and then securing a tax stamptransversely across the closure head and over said operating strip insuch a manner as to leave the free end of the operating strip readilyaccessible.

4. A method of producing a soft package filled with cigarettes andhaving at one end a head closure, a portion of which is adapted to beseparated from the remainder of the head closure by a manuallyactuatable operating strip which is normally held in engagement with theend face of the head closure by a tax stamp or the like and destroys thelatter when the operating strip is lifted, including the steps ofplacing a cigarette assembly, consisting of a plurality of cigarettes tobe packed, with one of its cigarette ends against an inner wrappingsheet,

' providing the opposite margins of the sheet which later form closureflaps of the head closure with cuts, applying a longitudinal operatingstrip to one narrow side of the cigarette assembly'in such a manner thatone end of said strip projects beyond the other end of said cigaretteassembly, folding the inner wrapping sheet around said cigaretteassembly, forming a fold in said operating strip at the place where itprojects from the cigarette assembly and placing said fold under theflap portions of the closure head formed by said cuts, securing aclosure stamp to the folded flap portions of said closure end so thatthe end portions of said closure stamp are attached to the wide wallfaces of said package, folding the remaining portion of said operatingstrip lengthwise against the outer end face of the closure head and overthe closure stamp, and then securing a tax stamp transversely across theclosure head and over said operating strip in such a manner to leave thefree end of the operating strip readily accessible, said closure stampbeing applied in such a manner so as not to cover the cuts in said innerwrapper and said tax stamp being wider and longer than said closurestamp so as to completely cover the latter.

5. A method of producing a soft package filled with cigarettes andhaving at one end a head closure, a portion of which is adapted to beseparated from the remainder of the head closure by a manuallyactuatable operating strip which is normally held in engagement with theend face of the head closure by a tax stamp or the like and destroys thelatter when the operating strip is lifted, including the steps ofplacing a cigarette assembly, consisting of a plurality of cigarettes tobe packed, with one of its cigarette ends against an inner wrappingsheet, providing the opposite margins of the sheet which later formclosure flaps of the head closure with cuts, applying a longitudinaloperating strip to one narrow side of the cigarette assembly in such amanner that one end of said strip projects beyond the other end of saidcigarette assembly, folding the inner wrapping sheet around saidcigarette assembly, inserting the cigarette assembly with its innerwrapper and operating strip thereon into an outer wrapper, forming afold in said operating strip at the place where it projects from thecigarette assembly and placing said fold under the flap portions of theclosure head formed by said cuts, securing said fiap portions togetherto prevent their separation, folding the remaining portion of saidoperating strip lengthwise across said folded flap portions against theouter end face of the closure head and then securing a tax stamptransversely across the closure head and over said operating strips insuch a manner as to leave the free end of the operating strip readilyaccessible.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,458,977 De Escobales June 19, 1923 2,129,888 Tamarin Sept. 13, 19382,625,775 Tamarin et a1. Jan. 20, 1953

